Santa Claus

Santa flew over the town

Gifts filling all his pockets

He was riding on a drone

And stuffing presents into rockets. 

Santa Claus, Christmas man

Gifting gifts as only he can

Known from the White House to Afghanistan

As Santa Claus friendly. 

Santa flew over Helmand

And blew up a family

Said "Oops, that didn't go as planned, perhaps"

And delivered a little homily.

"They must've had bad thoughts sometimes

Or they might have had them in future

So kids remember to thank your Santa Claus

Banish evil from your nature."

Santa Claus, Christmas man

Gifting gifts as only he can

Known from Yemen to Pakistan

As Santa Claus friendly.

Santa flew over Peshawar

And blew a car away

Said "it was loaded with terrorist men

I knew it clear as day."

Santa flew over the wreck

Once again to take a photo

Sent it by elf to archive it

In his North Pole trophy grotto. 

Santa Claus, Christmas man

Gifting gifts as only he can

Known from Mali to Waziristan

As Santa Claus friendly.

Santa flew over Yemen

Blew a wedding to pieces

Hovered over the blood and screams

Pondering hits and misses.

"They'd have had terrorist kids" he said

Shaking his head so sadly

"So I had to kill them now

But it was done so badly.

"There's an artistry to killing," he said

"As beautiful as the sun and rain, 

I must be losing my touch

So for practice I'll do it again. "

Santa Claus, Christmas man

Gifting gifts as only he can

Known from Somalia to Tajikistan

As Santa Claus friendly.

Santa flew over Africa

Destroying what he was able

Bombed a clinic in Mogadishu

And spun a little fable.

"It's a tale of wrong and right

I'm right so they must be wrong

Over the wrecks of shattered lives

I sing my little song."

Santa Claus, Christmas man

Gifting gifts as only he can

Known from Sudan to Turkmenistan

As Santa Claus friendly.

Santa Claus, he's your guy

For gifts right to your home and heath

And the gift he brings to you and yours

Is a grave the earth beneath.

So obey your Santa Claus

Do as he wants you to

And don't you dare have second thoughts

'Cause Santa will come for you. 

Santa Claus, Christmas man

Gifting gifts as only he can

Known from the White House to Afghanistan

As Santa Claus friendly.

Copyright B Purkayastha 2013

Forever and a Day

Sitting here, infinitesimal

Speck of life in the void of time and space

Less than significant, less than a breath

Now here, now gone –

How easy it is to think oneself

The centre of everything –

Of one’s hopes and desires

As meaning anything at all.

Like statues in the desert worn

To dust by wind and sun

Like conquerors and poets whose work

Crumbled away with the centuries

One day this will end

And all those hopes and wishes and desires

All achievement, will not even be a memory.

                       And yet I remember your kisses,                                           

I feel your embraces

And I will love you

Forever and a day,

When the seasons die and the shades go down

On the years that have passed

Still I will wait to hear your voice

And I will wake in the night

From dreams of you

Crying your name.

Till the last star burns out

Till the end of space and time

I will wait for you

And I will love you

Forever and a day.

Copyright B Purkayastha 2013

Raghead: Thanksgiving

Copyright B Purkayastha 2013